Sometimes, people get a cat without thinking about the commitment it requires.
In their minds, cats, or other pets for that matter, are just that – animals, who do not really require much attention. As long as they are given something to eat and a place to sleep, they’ll be good to go.
This unhealthy and to some degree even unethical attitude isn’t good and sure isn’t sustainable. Why, you may wonder?
Well, if people get pets, particularly cats in our case, solely for the purpose of having them because it is either cool to have one or a feline just happened to walk into their lives, their hearts will never be entirely in that relationship.
Hey, they might not even consider it a relationship in the first place, but rather ownership, and have a genuinely cold attitude toward it, saying things like “It’s my cat, I can do with it whatever I want.”
With this state of mind, these people might be neglectful and even cruel, because it might never occur to them to prioritize their felines, not even when they need it the most.
I suppose this is what happened to the protagonist of our story today, 21-year-old cat Tigger whose owners abandoned him in the very autumn of his life.
Back in 2015, Tigger’s owners left him at the local veterinary clinic, possibly because of his old age, which often comes with certain “charms.”
Tigger was visibly exhausted from everything, devastated and confused for being left all alone in an unfamiliar place, and hungry for yummy food and genuine love.
His story was published on the Canton Neighbor’s Facebook page, and luckily it caught the eye of a very special cat mamma.
Adriene Nicole Buisch and her boyfriend had already been looking for a special feline companion for her adorable 6-year-old kitty she had back home. She thought that it would be good for her fluff to have a friend, so she didn’t feel lonely when Nicole and her boyfriend weren’t home.
When Nicole saw Tigger’s story on Canon Neighbors, her heart stopped. She felt so bad for the poor fella that she immediately thought about bringing him home. And fortunately enough, her boyfriend felt the same way.
There was no question about it: They both wanted to give him the love that he deserved.
When they brought him home, they noticed that Tigger was very familiar with all the household commodities. It was obvious that he was only recently “kicked out” of his previous home.
Tigger’s condition was awful, to say the least. He was severely underweight (which often comes as a result of aging) and his ginger fur was extremely matted.
Nicole and her partner took him to a local vet for an examination and advice on how to safely fatten him up and return his fur to its (to them unknown) original state.
After a while, Tigger’s condition improved considerably. With a special diet, he managed to put on a couple of pounds, and his fur became silky smooth.
And not only did his new owners see his physical changes, but also his emotional ones. They noticed Tigger became a much happier and more content kitty.
Unfortunately, after some time Nicole noticed that Tigger had been drinking more water than usual. Her intuition told her that something might be wrong, so she decided to take him to the vet again.
And thankfully she did because the vet discovered that Tigger had severe kidney failure and a tumor in his body the size of a golf ball.
Nicole did not allow this setback to completely ruin their lives. She was determined to make Tigger’s last days on earth the best ones he’d ever had. So she created a bucket list of fun activities for him to try.
Despite his severe health condition, Tigger was living the life. In the words of his owner Nicole, he’d “kick it like a 12-year-old.” He was an amazing cat who loved the great outdoors, especially when it was sunny outside.
But his favorite destination was definitely the beach. He loved to visit Bethany Beach with his new family, and the bonus was Nicole had a house there, so they could stay as long as they liked.
Nicole documented Tigger’s adventures on her Facebook page and received much love and praise from many people around the world. Her main goal was to make people aware of how good it is to adopt senior cats and brighten up their last days of life.
Nicole and her partner celebrated two adoption birthdays with Tigger and many other family holidays.
Unfortunately, upon celebrating their 2-year anniversary, Tigger snuggled on Nicole’s chest and drew his last kitty breath. And in a matter of a couple of seconds, very peacefully, and in the loving embrace of his mom, he passed away.
Nicole said her heart shattered into a million pieces. She was sad she’d lost her precious boy, but immensely happy that she got the chance to share this life with him on earth, no matter how briefly.
If you have been thinking about adopting a kitty, we sincerely encourage you to consider a geriatric cat. These furballs are full of love and will undoubtedly make your life so much richer just by being in it.
